


Water Therapy

by musigneus



Series: Dreams and Nightmares (a.k.a. the A Short Measure series) [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Humor, M/M, PWP, Semi-Public Sex, hydrosmut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-04
Updated: 2011-04-04
Packaged: 2017-10-17 14:16:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/177729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musigneus/pseuds/musigneus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus's physical therapy is more pleasant than expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Water Therapy

**Author's Note:**

> A response to venivincere’s hydrosmut challenge on LiveJournal. Written before HBP and DH. Thanks to tarnationawaits and N.A. for betaing.

Students scattered out of Severus Snape’s path as he stormed furiously through the corridors. He was too irritated to be satisfied with their reaction, however. He couldn’t believe Poppy Pomfrey was making him do this. Pomfrey, and Albus, not letting him take his classes back until he agreed to Pomfrey’s insane plan...

He paused at the top of the stairs, catching his breath while there were no students in sight. So what if he was still a bit tired? He was fine. Completely recovered. All the damage the Dark Lord had done had been repaired. He certainly didn’t need _water therapy_. He sneered as he remembered Pomfrey’s speech.

 _“It will build up your strength, Severus, more quickly than any other form of exercise. You’ve lost muscle mass while you’ve been recovering...”_

Hah. He’d lost muscle mass when Voldemort had peeled his muscles away from the bone fiber by fiber while he screamed.

 _“Just go to the Room of Requirement, and think about a nice, warm pool...”_

His heels thudded on the floor as he paced past the ridiculous tapestry. He didn’t blame the trolls; he would have clubbed Barnabas the Barmy himself. He wanted to club Pomfrey for making him do this.

 _“A nice swim, half an hour every day. Excellent exercise, and very good for stress relief.”_

Killing Voldemort would be stress relief. Dunking Poppy Pomfrey and Albus Dumbledore in a nice warm pool would be stress relief. Dunking Pomfrey and Albus in a pool full of ice water would be even better stress relief. _Swimming_ was not stress relief. It was...undignified. He wheeled and strode past the stupid trolls again, remembering Albus’s voice now.

 _“I agree with Poppy, Severus. A little relaxation, some healthful exercise – just what you need.”_

Let Albus go swimming if it was such an excellent idea. He pivoted again.

 _“Remus tried it while he was recuperating, and said it was very enjoyable.”_

One last trip down the corridor, and he was facing the door. Damn. He had hoped the Room of Requirement would fail to materialize so he could get out of this.

 _“Go, Severus. Or would you prefer to have your swim in the lake?”_

Knowing Albus, the headmaster would find it highly amusing to carry through on his threat and dump Severus in the lake in front of half the students and all the staff, regardless of the fact that it was winter, if he didn’t do what Pomfrey said.

Resigned, he jerked open the door and stepped inside. Maybe Pomfrey and Albus would be satisfied if he just... Severus stopped on the threshold, staring. There was a pool, all right.

The door bumped him in the back as it swung closed behind him, knocking him gracelessly the last half step into the room. He barely noticed. He was too intent on watching the naked man occupying the pool. No, only nearly naked – Remus was wearing swimming trunks after all. Very...brief...trunks, that left plenty of skin on display.

Tiny droplets of water arced through the air, catching the afternoon sunlight streaming through the small high windows, as Remus cut smoothly through the water. Severus watched, mesmerized by the play of muscles under Remus’s skin, as he reached the end of the pool and tucked neatly under the water to turn and swim in the other direction.

Severus reached blindly behind his back, and his hand tightened on the handle of the door when Remus glanced his way and altered his course toward the side of the pool.

Shaking water out of his hair, Remus propped his elbows on the rim and looked up at him. “Were you looking for me, Severus?”

Distracted by the droplets of water trickling from Remus’s hair and across his shoulders to trace a path down his chest, Severus muttered, “No. Pomfrey... I....” Pulling his eyes back to Remus’s face with an effort, he finally managed an explanation. “Pomfrey wants me to swim. Albus is making me.”

One corner of Remus’s mouth twitched. “I see. Come on then, I wouldn’t mind the company.”

He turned away, dropping off his elbows and holding onto the rim with one hand, clearly prepared to push off the wall and resume his swim, but he looked back when Severus said, “No, I’ll... I’ll just come back later.”

Severus shoved the door open and was already out in the hallway when Remus’s questioning “Severus?” made him turn back. He saw the look of puzzlement fade from Remus’s face, to be replaced with a calm facade that revealed nothing. “Oh. Never mind. I was just leaving anyway. The pool is yours.” Remus boosted himself smoothly out of the water, and began drying himself off with quick, economical movements.

Severus let the door close again and watched, fascinated, as the tawny hair that had been sleekly plastered to Remus’s damp chest lifted and curled as he dried himself. Only when Remus reached for his clothes did Severus realize why he was leaving. This was the first time they had been completely alone since Remus had visited him at St. Mungo’s, although they had read, played chess, argued about Quidditch, and discussed books and Voldemort and students together under Pomfrey’s supervision while Severus had been in the hospital wing. Watching Remus eat French toast, carefully licking powdered sugar from his fingers every morning, had been torture. What they had not done, of course, was talk about themselves. Their...relationship. Or whatever it was. From his reaction, Remus must think Severus wasn’t interested anymore.

“Lupin. It’s not... it’s only...” Damn. Remus’s state of undress appeared to be depriving him of the ability to speak coherently.

Remus’s voice was even and clipped when he spoke. “It’s all right, Severus. I understand perfectly.”

“I don’t know how to swim,” Severus blurted, bracing himself for the inevitable mockery.

“What?”

“I don’t know how to swim,” Severus grated. _And I’m not about to make a fool of myself thrashing around in the water in front of_ you.

Remus put his shirt back down. “I could teach you. If you wanted,” he said, a bit hesitantly.

Severus shifted his gaze from the floor to Remus’s face. “You could?” he asked suspiciously.

“I could. It might even be fun,” Remus replied.

Severus scowled. “Now you sound like Albus. If you dare say anything about stress relief, Lupin...”

Remus laughed. It might, Severus thought, even be worth making a fool of himself in the damned pool to see the tension leaving Remus’s shoulders. No, better not think about Remus’s shoulders just now, about how warm and solid they would feel under his hands, not if he had to put on one of those – things – Remus was wearing. Barely wearing, revealing sharp hip bones that would fit in his palms just so... No, better not think of his hands resting on those flexing hips, either. Severus suddenly realized where he was staring, and jerked his eyes up from Remus’s hips to his face.

Remus looked amused, but merely said, “Did you bring swimming trunks, Severus? If not, there are a few over there.”

Severus nodded stiffly and reluctantly approached the pile Remus had indicated. To his relief, several of the trunks were more conservative than Remus’s. He selected a long black pair, then hesitated, looking over at his audience, when he realized he would have to remove his concealing robes.

“I’ll just do a few more laps while you change, Severus,” Remus said. “I’m getting a bit chilly sitting here.”

Severus waited until Remus was swimming in the opposite direction before he stripped quickly and slipped on the trunks. He felt ridiculous. Remus’s inexplicable interest in him would certainly not withstand seeing him exposed like this in daylight, all skinny limbs and sallow skin, patched with pink where the Healers at St. Mungo’s had had to regrow his skin. Maybe it wouldn’t be as obvious underwater...

All worries about his appearance, however, vanished when he stuck a foot in the pool. Snatching it back out, he yelped, “It’s freezing!”

Warm laughter answered him. “Only at first, Severus. Once you’re in and moving it isn’t bad. It’s actually much more pleasant to swim in cool water – less tiring.” Severus looked at him with obvious disbelief. Remus ignored it. “Come in on this end. It’s shallower here; you can stand.”

Severus reluctantly slid off the edge Remus indicated into the water, comprehensively cursing Albus, Pomfrey, and whatever Healer had suggested the idea to her.

“Good,” Remus said. “Now, do you know anything about swimming?”

 _Other than that everyone else can do it, and I don’t want to?_ “No.” Severus was shivering, despite having his arms wrapped tightly around his torso.

Remus stepped close, sloshing water between them. “Fine, then let’s start by just trying to get you comfortable in the water.”

Severus snorted.

Remus smiled. “More comfortable. Why don’t you try floating? I expect you’re too lean to really float, but I’ll help hold you up.” He slid one warm hand over Severus’s tense, shivering back. “Severus?”

“What?” he snapped.

Remus sighed. “Nothing. Just lean back into my hands. Let your feet come off the bottom.”

After a long moment, Severus leaned into the hands on his back, but the instant his feet left the bottom of the pool, he twisted, thrashing to get his feet back on solid ground, grabbing frantically at Remus’s forearm.

Remus looked a bit startled, but let Severus clutch his arm. Severus knew his eyes were wild; flushing, he tried to relax his convulsive grip on the other man. Remus would know he was terrified...

If Remus knew, he didn’t show it. “I have another idea,” he said calmly. “I’ll just lift you up, and hold you at the surface. Trust me, Severus,” he said, wrapping one arm firmly behind Severus’s shoulders and the other under his hips. Without waiting for an answer, he lifted.

Severus was rigid in his arms at first, tensing every time the water lapped close to his face, but Remus’s arms were warm and solid under him. He relaxed a little as he watched Remus watch him, feeling Remus’s calm, even breaths pressing his chest against Severus’s side. Really, this wasn’t completely unpleasant. Remus was warm, and the movement of the water was rather soothing as it rocked him gently in Remus’s arms... He watched the flickering reflections the surface of the water cast on the far wall, and he was almost completely relaxed when Remus finally spoke.

“Ready to try something else, Severus?”

Fear came flooding back, and his entire body stiffened instantly. “Don’t let go of me!” he snapped, eyes darting to Remus’s face.

Remus blinked. “I won’t, Severus,” he said soothingly. “I just want you to stand up and put your hands on my shoulders so I can tow you around a bit, to let you get used to the feel of moving through the water. That’s all.”

Severus flushed again. He felt ridiculous, but he let Remus stand him up. “What do you want me to do?” he asked, gripping Remus’s shoulders and trying to ignore how easy it would be to just lean in and brush his lips along Remus’s collarbone, lick the water beading there off...

Remus gave him a wicked smile in answer. “Any of a number of things, Severus,” he said. “But just now, I want you to keep holding on to my shoulders. I’ll hold your arms and walk backward. Just let yourself be pulled along.”

Severus felt like a child being towed through the pool, but it was difficult to feel embarrassed with the distraction of Remus’s bare shoulders under his fingers, Remus’s breath ghosting against his cheek, Remus’s hands firm on his arms. He was almost disappointed when Remus made him stand up again and let go.

“Good,” Remus said, sounding as if he meant it. “Now, to swim, you’ll have to coordinate your arms, legs, and breathing. It’s usually easiest to learn how to kick first...”

Severus watched intently while Remus demonstrated something called the breaststroke and tried to show him how to kick like a frog. Soon he was holding on to the rim of the pool with both hands, while Remus tried not to laugh at his efforts. Suddenly, his hands slipped off the rim and his head dropped under the water. He came up spitting and snarling, face to face with Remus, who was determinedly not smiling, although Severus could still see the tiny lines of amusement around his eyes.

“That’s it. This is a ridiculous, asinine–”

Remus’s hand on his arm stopped him when he began trying to scramble out of the pool. “Try again. Let me help guide your legs. All you need is a little practice,” Remus coaxed.

Severus glared, but let Remus pull him back in the water. His knuckles went white on the edge of the pool when Remus’s hands slid along his legs. Remus was murmuring instructions, bending his knees and then pushing his legs, but all Severus was aware of was the way his cock suddenly sprang to life, pushing insistently at the confining swimming trunks, when Remus’s hand slid along his thigh.

“Severus? Severus,” he heard Remus say in the tone of someone who has already repeated himself several times, “did you hear what I said?”

Severus stood up and turned to face Remus. They were standing very close.

“Yes. You said next time, I had to come to you.”

He heard Remus’s breath catch and saw his eyes widen slightly, before a slow smile lit his face.

“Yes. Severus, do you want...”

“I want.”

Severus let his fingers trace the path his eyes had taken earlier, following a trail of sliding water droplets from Remus’s hair down his neck, into the hollow of his shoulder, down his chest. Remus shivered, then stepped abruptly forward.

The movement caught Severus, intent on the shimmering droplets trickling down Remus’s body, by surprise – he jumped, and his feet shot out from under him, dunking him in the water.

He came up spluttering, clawing dripping black hair out of his eyes, Remus’s steadying hands under his elbows. His furious exclamation “Fuck! This is–” was cut off by Remus’s mouth covering his.

Remus kissed him roughly, thrusting his tongue insistently into Severus’s mouth as he pushed him back into the side of the pool. Trapped between the rough wall and Remus’s warm body, Severus splayed his hands on Remus’s chest, feeling the reassuring rise and fall of his breath, then moved them up to cup the back of Remus’s head and pull him deeper into the kiss. His cock grew even harder as he rubbed against Remus’s leg, and he moaned as he pushed against Remus and felt the other man push back. His hands slipped out of Remus’s hair to smooth down his back, down to his hips, and even lower. He shoved Remus’s ridiculous trunks down a bit, so he could rest his hands on Remus’s bare arse and feel the muscles tensing and flexing under his hands without interference from the wet cloth.

Remus finally released Severus’s mouth long enough to say, “What do you want, Severus?”

Severus met his gaze steadily. “Everything.” He felt Remus’s shiver of arousal at his answer, and ordered, “Up. On the edge, Lupin.”

Once Remus was sitting on the rim of the pool, Severus stripped his trunks the rest of the way off, dropping them in the water. Pushing Remus’s knees gently apart, Severus bent his head and took the tip of Remus’s cock in his mouth. He heard a gasp, and Remus’s hips lifted as he leaned back, hands supporting his weight.

Taking Remus’s cock as deeply in his mouth as he could, Severus sucked the water off the hard shaft, enjoying the contrast between the cool droplets and the silky hot skin underneath. He stroked the length with his tongue while he moved his head up and down, licking and sucking until he began to taste the heavy, salty bite of Remus’s pre-ejaculate instead of water. With one hand, he caressed the soft skin at the junction of Remus’s hip and his thigh; he wrapped his other hand around the base of Remus’s cock while he teased the tip with his tongue.

Remus made a tiny sound of pleasure, and Severus glanced up. Remus was leaning back on his arms, thighs spread, looking down at him. “Severus...” His voice was ragged. “Do you want–”

He broke off with a gasp when Severus moved his hand from Remus’s thigh to cup his balls and began stroking his shaft firmly with the other hand, moving his mouth along with it. Remus’s hips jerked slightly, and Severus sucked and stroked faster and harder until, with a small cry, Remus spurted into his mouth.

Severus stood still, resting his head on Remus’s thigh, listening to his panting breaths become more even. After a minute, Remus took hold of his hands and helped pull him up out of the water. As Severus stood dripping by the pool, Remus looked up at him, and, rising to his knees, ran a hand up Severus’s leg.

An uncomfortable flash of memory assailed Severus – Remus, bound and kneeling at his feet, a livid bruise forming on his cheek where Severus had struck him...

“No,” he said harshly. Seeing the sudden wariness in Remus’s eyes, he softened his voice. “Not...not like this.” He reached down and pulled Remus to his feet. “You said, next time, I could touch you as much as I want.”

The wariness left Remus’s expression, and he smiled. “Yes, of course. But don’t you want–”

“No. What I want is for you to lie down on those towels. I want to touch you and kiss you and lick you, everywhere, until you are hard again. Then I want to enter you and fuck you slowly until you beg me to move, like I begged you last time, Lupin. Then I want to fuck you harder and harder until neither of us can breathe.”

Remus opened his mouth to answer, then closed it and simply nodded.

~*~

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past Barnabas the Barmy as Harry finished talking about the counter-curses he’d just learned from Remus and how they could be used.

Ron said, jokingly, “You know, mate, what we really need is a Death Eater to practice on.”

Looking thoughtful, Hermione said, “Or someone who knows how they think, anyway. It might be useful to–”

She made a strangled noise and turned bright pink when Harry swung the door of the Room of Requirement open. Ron blinked, and Harry simply froze in shock.

Three pairs of stunned eyes took in the sight: two bodies entangled on the floor, one thrusting down, one arching up. Then a pair of furious black eyes turned toward the door, and Harry, with great presence of mind, slammed it shut.

Hermione squeaked, “Was that... Were they–”

Ron said blankly, “Did you see–”

Harry’s command cut across their questions. “Run.”

Ron and Hermione stared at him for a second, then all three of them turned for the stairs. Too late – the door crashed against the wall as Snape flung it open, and they were confronted by their enraged Potions master. Wearing a towel wrapped around his waist, but holding his wand in a white-knuckled hand.

“Get. In. Here. _Now_ ,” he hissed furiously, gesturing with his wand.

They edged past him into the room. Harry thought uneasily that, although Snape seen wearing a flowered hospital gown had been almost amusing, Snape wearing a towel was...terrifying. Maybe it was because he was as angry as Harry had ever seen him – he was white and shaking, just like he had been when he had caught Harry looking in the Pensieve.

Hermione, trying desperately to look anywhere except at her Potions professor or her former Defense professor, looked at the pool. She strangled a giggle and turned even pinker at the sight of the discarded swim trunks floating on the surface of the water. Ron just looked ill.

“If any of you _ever_ say anything about this...” Snape snarled.

“We won’t,” Harry said.

Hermione and Ron shook their heads vigorously.

Although he didn’t think Remus would let Snape kill them, Harry thought he would feel a lot safer if Snape would lower his wand. He glanced imploringly at Remus, who was also wearing only a towel and leaning against the wall with one hand covering his mouth.

Remus straightened and said, “What are you planning to do with them, Severus? It was just an accident, after all.”

“I’d prefer to _Obliviate_ the lot of them,” Snape said, still glaring.

“Please,” Ron muttered, but Hermione looked frightened. Harry knew how much she hated the idea of anyone tampering with her mind. Personally, he was with Ron, but he tried to think of some way to help Hermione.

“I don’t expect they would repeat this, Severus,” Remus said calmly. “What were you doing here, anyway?” he asked.

“We were coming to set the room up for the Defense Association meeting in a few minutes. We were going to go over some basic tactics, and I thought I might teach the others the counter-curses you’ve been teaching me, Remus,” Harry said.

Snape was still looking unnervingly murderous, so Harry kept talking. “Ron was just saying that we need a Death Eater to practice on, and Herm–”

Hearing Hermione’s gasp, Harry realized what he’d just said and winced, waiting for the explosion from Snape. But Snape actually lowered his wand a fraction and said silkily, “How...almost Slytherin of you, Potter. So. My help in exchange for your silence... How many tutoring sessions do you think your...discretion...is worth?”

Harry wasn’t quite certain what Snape was talking about, but at least he wasn’t spitting or cursing them. Yet. Hermione nudged him, and he said questioningly, “Four?”

“Miss Granger? Mr. Weasley?” Snape asked.

“Yes, sir,” Hermione said.

Ron nodded, still looking rather pale under his freckles.

“Fine,” Snape said sharply. “Four sessions. Be here Tuesday. Seven o’clock. All three of you. Now _get out_.”

They bolted.

~*~

The door closed behind the three students, and Remus slid down the wall, his shoulders shaking with suppressed mirth.

Severus glared at him. “Lupin...” he snarled.

“Oh, Merlin. How embarrassing...” Remus dissolved into helpless laughter, barely controlling himself long enough to say, “Severus, did you see their faces? I was already dreading having to give Harry The Talk – I had never planned on starting with a practical demonstration.”

Severus just looked disgusted as Remus howled with laughter. Shaking his head, he sat on the floor near Remus, eyeing him sourly. Finally, Remus recovered enough to ask, “Did I just see Harry blackmail you into giving him Defense lessons, or did I just see you volunteer, Severus?”

Severus snorted. “Neither. I merely took advantage of an opportunity. Albus asked me two days ago if I’d help you drill some self-preservation skills into Potter. Maybe if the insolent bra–” He cast a quick, slightly guilty glance at Remus, then continued, “the _boy_ thinks he maneuvered me into doing something that was his idea, he’ll actually cooperate and apply himself for a change.”

“Albus asked you...” Remus shook his head. “You are a devious man, Severus Snape.”

Severus smirked. “I know.”

They sat against the wall, not looking at each other. After a moment, Severus ventured, “Potter...won’t approve.”

Remus didn’t pretend to misunderstand. With a rueful smile, he answered, “No, I don’t imagine he will.” He leaned his head back against the wall. “This wasn’t exactly how I had planned to break the news to him, either.”

Severus was startled. “You were planning to tell him?”

“Of course.” Remus frowned. “Why, were you planning on keeping this,” he gestured between them, “a secret?”

“I would have preferred to,” Severus answered honestly. “I’m still a danger to you, Lupin. And I wouldn’t have thought you would want anyone to know you– we–”

“You thought I would be ashamed of you?” Remus read Severus’s answer in the silent widening of his eyes and looked angry. “When I said I didn’t care how many people heard us at St. Mungo’s, Severus, I meant it. I don’t care who knows.”

 _Even Potter? When the shock wears off and he is furious with you, Lupin – when he tells you to choose between him and me – whom will you choose? I know. I know it will not be me. Any moment now, you’ll realize you need to go after Potter. Placate him._

“We need to leave soon, Severus,” Remus said.

 _You see? I know._

Severus stood up, keeping his face averted. After all, this handful of times with Remus had been more than he had ever thought he would have...

“If the D.A. is meeting here this afternoon, half the upper years will be here any minute,” Remus said. “I think we should resume this some place more private.”

 _What? He’s not going after Potter?_ A small smile grew on Severus’s lips as he watched Remus retrieve his clothes. Perhaps he didn’t know what Remus would choose after all.

“Yes, Lupin, I believe we should.”

~*~

At dinner in the Great Hall that evening, both Albus and Pomfrey remarked on how much more relaxed Severus was looking.

Albus said, “You see, Severus? I told you Poppy’s water therapy would be good for you.”

Remembering Remus, on his way out of Severus’s chambers, looking over his shoulder to say with a grin, “Another lesson same time tomorrow, then?”, Severus was hard put to produce the expected sneer in reply.


End file.
